NASA Wallops Is Examining Downsizing In Plain Sight

Potential Reduction At Wallops Flight Facility, WBOC

"Goddard Space Flight Center said they are evaluating opportunities to streamline and improve the relationship between the center's in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Island. Goddard told WBOC today in a statement, "The importance of a synergistic relationship between the two campuses is vital to the future of each campus and Goddard Space Flight Center as a whole." Bale is disappointed that Goddard is even entertaining the idea of any potential reduction. "We're unclear and unclear is not good," Bale said. "That area of uncertainty would be very detrimental to how we operate, attracting new customers, and attracting the potential business opportunities that continue to evolve here." Goddard is expected to make its final decision within 45-90 days. There is a meeting scheduled next week for the many people who want to spare Wallops from any reduction with a vision of expansion in the future."

NASA Wallops Flight Facility to explore efficiencies with sister campus, Delmarva Now

"Keith Koehler, a spokesman for NASA Wallops Flight Facility, issued the following statement from Ken Human, who recently retired from NASA and is leading the review team: In light of agency efforts to improve management efficiencies and the increasing prominence of commercial space, Goddard has formed a team to study and evaluate opportunities to improve the organizational structure and effectiveness of the relationship between Goddard Space Flight Center's campuses at Greenbelt, Md., and Wallops Island, Virginia, Koehler wrote in an email on Friday."

Keith's note: Notice how NASA will not explicitly rule out job reductions at Wallops? Phrases such as "exploring efficiencies" and "streamline and improve" are the passive-aggressive ways that NASA spokesmouths avoid saying that job reductions are under consideration when in fact they most certainly are on the table. Notice how NASA will only say "The 90-day study will wrap up by late October ... and is not expected to have any impact on the Wallops facility before the study is completed." The operative phrase here is "before the study is completed". What about after the study is completed? I've seen this movie before.

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